What is a press release?
A press release is an official announcement from a company, written in the style of a news story and distributed to journalists and news sites. It states what happened, who it involves and why it matters, in a standard format with a headline, dateline, body, quote, boilerplate and media contact. Today it serves three audiences: journalists, search engines, and the AI assistants that read news pages.
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What a press release is, and isn't
A press release is written by the company (or its PR agency) and published under its name. It is not a news article written by a journalist, and it is not an advertisement. Its job is to state the facts of an announcement clearly enough that a journalist could report on it, a customer could understand it, and a search engine could index it as the official record.
When a release is distributed through a newswire, news sites republish it as-is, labeled as a press release. That is paid distribution, not editorial coverage. The difference matters: see press release vs media coverage.
The parts of a press release
| Part | What it is |
|---|---|
| Headline | One line stating the news, with the company name |
| Subheadline (optional) | One sentence adding the key detail |
| Dateline | City, state or country, and date: "AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 22, 2026 –" |
| Lead paragraph | Who, what, when, where and why in two or three sentences |
| Body | Detail, context, numbers, in order of importance |
| Quote | One or two quotes from a named executive or partner |
| Boilerplate | A short standard "About [Company]" paragraph |
| Media contact | Name, email, phone or website for follow-up |
| End mark | "###" signals the end of the release |
Full details: press release format.
When to send one
Send a release when something has changed that customers, partners, investors or the press would want on record:
- a product or major feature launch (product launch template);
- a funding round (funding template);
- a partnership or integration (partnership template);
- a key hire (new hire template);
- a milestone: users, revenue, a market entered (milestone template);
- an event, award, acquisition or rebrand.
What a press release does today
Journalists still read releases, though few stories come from a cold release alone. The bigger effects for a small company are online:
- Search presence. Republished copies are indexed pages that rank for your brand name and announcement. See do press releases help SEO?.
- AI citations. AI assistants read news pages when answering questions about companies. See press releases and AI citations.
- Credibility assets. Live links and outlet logos you can show customers and investors, labeled honestly as a press release.
- An official record of the facts, dated, that later articles and assistants can refer to.
Questions people ask
Who writes a press release?
The company, its PR agency or a freelancer. Many teams now draft with AI and edit by hand. See writing a press release with AI.
How long is a press release?
Usually 400 to 600 words, about one page. Many wires charge by length beyond a base word count.
Is a press release free to publish?
Posting one on your own site is free. Distribution to news sites through a wire is paid. See press release cost.